Ring-type ball throwing and catching toy



y 25, 17955 c. c. ORTEGA RING-TYPE BALL THROWING AND CATCHING TOY FiledDec. 18, 1962 Char/offs 6. Orfegm INVENTOR.

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will continue until a player drops the ball.

United States Patent 3,185,479 I RING-TYPE BALL THROWING AND CATCHINGTOY Charlotte C. Ortega, Nestor, Calif. (221 National Ave., SantYsidro,Calif.) Filed Dec. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 245,453 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-96)This invention generally relates to a game device and more particularly,a toy which can be used to catch and throw a ball.

In brief, the invention comprises a basket like ring of considerablediameter but small enough to be held in ones hands. The ring has ahinged gate formed as a part thereof and also comprises a circular trackfor the reception of a ball. Upon twirling or imparting an undulatingmotion to the ring the ball will be caused to roll in the track and at apredetermined movement in the balls travel around the track, the gatemay be opened causing the ball to leave the track and ring and be throwninto the air. Another player in the game may catch the ball with asimilar basket ring and by twirling or imparting an undulating motion tothe ring cause the ball to roll therein. The series of events justdescribed The device comprising the present invention may include inlieu of a hinged gate, means disposed in the path of travel of the ballaround the ring to flip the ball out of its path of movement and intothe air.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide a toy orgame device which will provide entertainment for a series of players.

A further object of this invention, is to provide a toy or devicecomprising a basket-like ring having a track disposed thereon forcontrolling the path of movement of a ball used in conjunction with thetoy or game It is still a further object of this invention, to provide aa device of the character indicated which may be used in a team eflortand may provide entertainment for grownups, as well as for children.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the toy or game device of the presentinvention and illustrates the use of the device when causing a ball todeviate from its intended path of movement.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along I line 2--2ofFIGURE 1 and illustrating certain details of the track of the instantinvention.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIGURE1 and illustrating certain details of the hinge mechanism for allowing aportion of the periphery of the ring to swing out to discharge the ball.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan. view of another embodiment of theinvention comprising a flipper mechanism for deviating the intended pathof movement of the ball.

Patented May 25, 1965 FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view takenalong line 5-5 of FIGURE 4 and illustrating certain details of theflipper mechanism.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 of theembodiment shown in FIGURE 1 and illustrates means for holding thehinged gate portion of the ring in operative relationship with the.ring.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several views, and more particularlyto the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 3 and 6,a basketlike ring 10 formed from any suitable material such as plasticis shown. The ring 10 has an arcuate track 12 formed of a basket-likenetwork 14 disposed about the circumferential extent of the ring. Thebasket-like network may be utilized by the player to grasp the ring. Thetrack 12 opens upwardly and is formed with a vertically extendingcircular flange 16 joined to an arcuate circular flange 18. A ball ofrubber or other suitable material 20 may be caused to revolve about thetrack 12 of the ring by twirling the ring or imparting an undulatingmotion to the ring by the hands of the player. It should also be notedthat the flange 18 is of greater vertical extent than flange 16 thuspreventing the ball from lbouncing out of the track when received fromanother player.

A portion of the periphery of the ring such as indicated generally at 22is adapted to swing out so that the ball may be deviated from its pathof movement in the track 12 to be discharged to another player. Thesection 22 has three ears 24 formed integral therewith. These ears arein mating engagement with ears 26 extending laterally from thestationary portion of the ring 10. Suitable pivot means such as rivets28 extend through the mating ears so that the discharge portion of thering may pivot about the stationary portion thereof but yet remainintegral with the stationary portion so that it can be quickly returnedto place. It will be noted from the illustration of FIGURE 1 that thedischarge portion of the ring may be quickly pivoted to and from adischarge position by merely grasping a knob or lever 30 and pulling thering portion 22 so as to pivot it about rivets 28. The knob 30 alsoserves the purpose of enabling the player to firmly hold the device inhis hand if he desires while revolving the ball 20 in the track 12.Another knob 32 is also formed integrally with the stationary portion ofthe ring for use with the other hand.

The discharge portion 22 of the ring 10 may be held in place to completethe track 12 by means of a cooperating notch and detent. A small detent34 is formed on the tip of an integral lug 36 disposed at one end of thehinged gate or discharge portion of the ring 22. Cooperating therewithis a notch 38 formed on a mating lug 40 formed integral with thestationary part of the ring.

Referring more specifically to that embodiment of the invention depictedin FIGURES 4 and 5 the structure and object of the game device or toyremain the same, but in lieu of the hinged gate or discharge portion ofthe ring 10 a flipper mechanism generally designated at 42 is providedfor deviating the ball from its revolving path on a onepiece annularring 14'. The flipper mechanism comprises a knob 44 aflixed to a pin 46which extends through arcuate flange 18' and vertical flange 16' and isformed with an enlarged head 48 which abuts the inner surface of thevertically extending flange 16. The knob 44 abuts against a laterallyextending flange 50 formed integral with the arcuate flange 18'. Knob 44is disposed so that it may rotate with respect to said lateral flange orextension 50 about a horizontal axis. Rigidly attached to the pin 46 isa flipper 52. It should be apparent that the path of the ball may bedeviated from the track by merely rotating the flipper to an anglerelative to the path of in movement of the ball. The flipper acts as arunway and the ball will take off into the air. It should also be notedthat knob 44 may be grasped in one hand and knob 32' grasped in theother to impart the requisite motion to the ball.

To summarize the operation of the game device or toy, a ball is manuallydisposed or caught on the track formed on the annular ring and anundulating motion is imparted thereto. The ball runs around the track afew times and then the player unexpectedly discharges the ball toanother player by means of a hinged gate or discharge portion of thering which is hingedly connected to a stationary portion or by means ofa flipper runway. Another player must then catch the ball in hisbasket-like ring and this action is subsequently repeated until the ballis dropped. It should be noted that one person may play the game aloneas long as there is some surface upon which the ball may be thrown andit may rebound to the player so that he may pick it up in his basketagain.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A ball throwing and catching toy comprising a ring having acontinuous track of arcuate cross-sectional configuration openingupwardly throughout its extent upon which a ball may be caught androlled therein, handle means on the ring for enabling the ring to begrasped for imparting an undulating motion in a generally horizontalplane to the ring for moving the ball around the track, and means fordeviating the ball from its path of movement and discharging it from thetrack, said last named means comprising a peripheral portion of the ringand track having one end thereof pivotally connected to the remainingportion at the outer peripheral edge, the other end of said pivotalportion having releasable locking means thereon for selectively lockingthe pivotal portion in circumferential alignment with the remainingportion of the ring and track when in non-discharging position andenabling the pivotal portion to swing outwardly into generallytangential relation to the track at the point of pivotal connectiontherewith when in discharging position.

2. A ball throwing and catching toy comprising a ring having acontinuous track of arcuate cross-sectional configuration openingupwardly throughout its extent upon which a ball may be caught androlled therein, handle means on the ring for enabling the ring to begrasped for imparting an undulating motion in a generally horizontalplane to the ring for moving the ball around the track, and

means for deviating the ball from its path of movement and dischargingit from the track, said last named means comprising a flipper normallydisposed in horizontal position in the bottom of the track and notinterfering with the movement of the ball along the track, handle meansdisposed externally of the ring and connected to the flipper to pivotthe flipper about one end thereof to form an inclined runway extendingtowards the top of the track for engagement by the ball as it movesaround the track whereby the ball will be elevated above the track anddischarged from the ring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 956,244 4/ 10Westerberg. 2,644,270 7/53 Marong 46-43 3,080,675 3/63 Licitis 273-109 X3,092,928 6/63 Geiser 46-43 3,108,810 10/63 Wiley 273 FOREIGN PATENTS188,266 11/22 Great Britain.

517,990 12/20 France. 1,179,168 12/58 France.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

1. A BALL THROWING AND CATCHING TOY COMPRISING A RING HAVING A CONTINUOUS TRACK OF ARCUATE CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OPENING UPWARDLY THROUGHOUT ITS EXTENT UPON WHICH A BALL MAY BE CAUGHT AND ROLLED THEREIN, HANDLE MEANS ON THE RING FOR ENABLING THE RING TO BE GRASPED FOR IMPARTING AN UNDULATING MOTION IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE TO THE RING FOR MOVING THE BALL AROUND THE TRACK, AND MEANS FOR DEVIATING THE BALL FROM ITS PATH OF MOVEMENT AND DISCHARGING IT FROM THE TRACK, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS COMPRISING A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE RING AND TRACK HAVING ONE END THEREOF PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE REMAINING PORTION AT THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE, THE OTHER END OF SAID PIVOTAL PORTION HAVING RELEASABLE LOCKING MEANS THEREON FOR SELECTIVELY LOCKING THE PIVOTAL PORTION IN CIRCUMFERENTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE RING AND TRACK WHEN IN NON-DISCHARGING POSITION AND ENABLING THE PIVOTAL PORTION TO SWING OUTWARDLY INTO GENERALLY TANGENTIAL RELATION TO THE TRACK AT THE POINT OF PIVOTAL CONNECTION THEREWITH WHEN IN DISCHARGING POSITION. 